WOW!!! The team looks horrible. Zero creativity, midfield is non-existent in controlling the game, and the defense blew it on the goal....and all they are doing is passing it to each other backwards...ouch!!!
There is no creativity with the players on the field.

don't forget freddy adu.
This is typical of an American coached national team. Look at Sampson, Arena and now Bradley. Just pass and possession...players cannot be creative.

You will love this quote from Bradley about Adu who played his ass of in the Olympics.
but Bradley seemed to indicate, before a workout at Estadio Cuscatlan, that Adu is unlikely to play. “No part of a qualifying match includes in any way the idea that it’s a great time to look at someone,” Bradley said. “We’re playing to win. Playing with the maturity we need to have to play and win and hopefully get to the World Cup final.”

Playing to win?? and he puts Califf to start?? Ching does nothing up front...

Except for Califf, these are the same field players who just sliced and diced Mexico a few weeks ago. And I refuse to believe that Onyewu's absence is the reason none of them can connect on a simple pass, and couldn't even before the goal.

Why do we play garbage like: Pearce, Hejduk(was a good player, but not anymore), Califf, Mastreoni, and Ching (even though he does all the dirty work)? This is typical of US coaches who are so damn conservative they make Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal hippy. This is the worst half of soccer I have seen from the US nats since the late 90s. The empty bucket midfield does not work if there is no wide play. Beasley has been awful and Dempsey isn't even playing Right Mid. What is going on? I can only hope that play picks up and we get away with a tie. I could see something like this happenning after watch the Guatemala game from the last round. We got lucky we won that game also. Lets hope we can pull another one out of our A**!!!!

I don't think they called him offside, I think he called him for playing the keeper instead of the ball. Wrong, he made a clear path in front of the keeper, playing neither.

===

No. It was offside. The whistle came after the scissor kick, and the Ref pointed at Altidore in the goal area and raised his arm for an IFK. If it had been in for the challenge on the GK, it would have been sooner and probably a DFK for charging or pushing.

We got so lucky to get out of there with a tie. Not a good showing in my opinion.

I can tell you why Altidore doesn't start, he's horrible on the ball under pressure.

Was it just me or was Beasley out of position about 70% of that match? Not only that, but he had absolutely no energy out there. How many times did players get the ball on his side and no overlapping run into space by him? The attack just fizzled out on his side all night.

We need some players who can deliver better service. A lot of missed passes too far ahead or too far behind the player. That Donovan breakaway should have been a chance on goal if the ball was layed ahead of him instead of bouncing behind him.

With this current line-up, it's not looking good for the WC. I'd rather have Altidore and Donovan up top with Adu behind them. You'd get pace in Donovan, size in Altidore and creativity and fearlessness from Adu.

Not sure what to do with the defenders...bunch of hackers out there, call it defense.

After the impact he made in this game and the Mexico game as a substitute, Altidore has got to start. It doesn't matter how much playing time he's getting in on his club team in Spain--he can flat out play. And Klejsten has got to sit until he can stop giving the ball away on every possession.

And why can't Dellacamera and Harkes simply say what everyone could plainly see? That the U.S. looked disjointed and awful out there for most of the match. Can ESPN find an announcing team that doesn't include a former U.S. national player to get a more objective perspective on these games?

I liked Torres. He had some creativity and vision. Not sure how he'd do a whole game since I've seen very little of his game (never seen him defensively), but I think he brings great things as a late game sub.

I was dissapointed in Beasely. I thought he gave up too easily on the 2nd goal in letting his guy cross the ball.

And its no wonder ES is constantly carded and falling men short in games. To keep faking injuries is a disgrace. I'm sorry, but after 5 mins that goalie should have been taken off the field. There was no excuse to extend the game that long. I understand he's the goalie, but the ref should have handled that better. ES almost lost that game in overage time, and honestly, they deserved to as karma.

The first fifteen minutes weren't so much bad as they were a bit dull. ES sat back and the US side just felt them out for a bit. After the goal, the US started to press a bit, and became very disjointed. Fortunately, they picked it up after the second goal and got two back.

For all of you complaining about the Salvadorans doing this or that . . . while I don't agree with petty gamesmanship. . . it's the refs fault for not moving things along . . . although he did add 7 minutes . . . that we used to almost win the match.

The bunkering after the second goal seemed more like a tactical decision than one forced by conditioning. ES was doing just fine conditioning-wise until the goal. They just seemed to think two was good enough. Pretty silly choice when you know you're probably going to have to substitute a GK and your generally more talented opponent has yet to make a single change. Add to that knowing that you're going to have a ton of stoppage time, and what have a really bad game management.

How bout some props to the El Salvadorans!!! They whooped out butts for 70 minutes and had two great goals. Then they ran out of gas and camped, allowing us to get back in it . . .

Posted by: delantero | March 28, 2009 11:56 PM

I would have been happy to, had they not disgraced the game so shamefully. What Montes did with the fake leg injury was ridiculous. How the official allowed the trainers to stretch him and tend to him without leaving the field was also ridiculous. In my book, you dont get props for playing that way. especially when you don't do it well enough to win.

For about 80 minutes, USA looked like zombies playing kick-ball. Luckily, they finally woke up and mass-attacked the ES penalty area.

Pearce and Sascha had poor matches. Donovan was invisible. Beasley was stuck in second gear. For much of the match, Dempsey seemed to be the only player with moxie. The absence of Gooch and Howard showed just how key they are to the USA defense.

Let's hope the overall performance was an aberration -- and a wake-up call for T&T.

I tend to think that the ES goalkeeeper's cramping was real. His take off and landing on that free kick was awkward and you could tell something was wrong. The rest of the players who started dropping like flies all of a sudden? Not a chance in hell.

I also liked what I saw from Torres, but unless you want to play a 3-5-2 (which would get us killed against more skilled competition) I don't see a spot for him in the starting 11.

I watched the game twice (on Tivo).Guzan was weak; there are several other keepers (is he a Bradley fave from Chivas days?)
Same for Califf. In MF Beaseley was awful, no wonder GR keeps him out.Let's go with Rogers or Holden b/c in the WC Beaseley CAN'T play.LD was invisible again, and that after training with FC Bayern? I agree with posters re Adu: We need someone who can turn and be creative; STOP passing the ball backwards 3 out of 4 times!